Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout

Over the past few weeks, our office has received an increasing number of inquiries regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We appreciate that you may have questions and like many other patients, are eagerly waiting to get the vaccine. Please refer to the information below regarding some of the common questions we have been getting before calling our office. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

1. When am I getting the vaccine?
 

All vaccines are being administered through Public Health and the hospitals and are currently being administered to long-term care residents and to hospital personnel where we have seen the highest number of cases and outbreaks. Rollout to the rest of the population is being done in phases. At this time, Public Health and the Ontario government have not provided family physicians with a specific timeline as to when vaccines will be available in our offices.
 

2. I'm a senior/have health conditions/high risk. Can/will I get mine sooner?
 

We expect certain patients may be prioritized with the next phase of vaccine rollouts. However guidelines have not been provided to us yet and we are therefore unable to provide any specific details at this time. Our office is NOT maintaining a waitlist as we assume all of our patients will want the vaccine when it is available.
 

3. Can I get a referral to get the COVID-19 vaccine sooner?
 

As mentioned above, vaccines are currently being provided in long-term care homes and hospital workers working with COVID-19 patients. We have no ability to send patients to these vaccine clinics. We will also note that our physicians have no ability to access these clinics to get the vaccines even for themselves.
 

4. Which vaccine should I get?
 

Currently authorized vaccines in Canada are manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna, with more vaccines pending approval. Due to the number of vaccines that have been ordered and being administered from each manufacturer, it is very likely that patients will simply receive whatever vaccine is available at the time and will not have the ability to choose the manufacturer/vaccine that they receive.
 

5. I have been offered the vaccine through my workplace but have some medical conditions. Should I still get it?
 

There are specific reasons that some people cannot get the vaccine. We would recommend reviewing the information provided to you about the vaccine being offered to you. Patients who SHOULD NOT get the COVID-19 vaccine at this time are:
- Individuals with proven immediate or anaphylactic hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine or its container, including polyethylene glycol. Having mild or severe seasonal/food allergies/medication allergies is not a reason not to receive the vaccine and does not put you at higher risk of an adverse event.
- Individuals who are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment or those with an autoimmune disorder until further evidence is available as they were excluded from the clinical trials.
- Individuals who are pregnant and individuals who are breastfeeding until further evidence is available as they were excluded from the clinical trials. (this may change shortly)
 

For more information about the vaccines, please visit one of the sites below:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario

https://www.nejm.org/covid-vaccine/faq
 

Pfizer vaccine
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_information_sheet_pfizer-biontech.pdf
 

Please watch the following video about comparing different Covid-19 vaccines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3odScka55A